


A Lonely Gathering

by Sand_wolf579



Category: Gargoyles (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Captivity, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Master & Servant, Not in a BDSM Sex Way, The Gathering, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:47:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25563064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sand_wolf579/pseuds/Sand_wolf579
Summary: The time of the Gathering had come, and Oberon himself came to drag Puck back to Avalon.
Relationships: Puck | Owen Burnett & David Xanatos
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

Like all Children of Oberon, Puck had felt it the moment that the Gathering had started. He'd expected it, had known that it was coming for a long time now, but that didn't mean he was ready for it. If the Gathering had happened just fifty years ago, before he'd taken on the form of Owen Burnett, he would have been reluctantly willing to return to Avalon. He enjoyed humans and how unpredictable they could be, but he'd been living among them for a thousand years, he could have tolerated taking a small break from them and spending some time with his own kind if he hadn't met David Xanatos.

David Xanatos was the epitome of human unpredictability in Puck's eyes. He always had some new scheme planned, and many of those plans had numerous, sometimes dozens, of end goals. Even if his ultimate goal wasn't achieved, it was a very rare occurrence that Xanatos didn't get at least knowledge from his schemes. Puck loved seeing all of it play out, and now that he had an idea of what kinds of things David Xanatos got up to, he didn't want to leave and miss out on all the fun.

Even if the Gathering happened in another fifty or hundred years, Puck would have answered the call. By that time, Xanatos would be dead, unless he actually achieved immortality, which should be impossible, but Puck had come to realize that nothing was actually impossible for that man.

For the gathering to happen now though, when David Xanatos was more interesting than ever, Puck didn't want to leave. He knew he would be in big trouble. When Lord Oberon summoned his people, he expected them to do as he said without hesitation or questions. If Puck was any other fae, he would probably be dragged back to Avalon kicking and screaming. He wasn't just any child of Oberon though. Puck was Lord Oberon's servant and one of Queen Titania's favorites He would be punished greatly for even thinking of disobeying. He knew this, and he knew he should be worried, but he didn't want to leave. Puck wanted to stay at Xanatos' side as Owen.

Puck ignored the summons completely. He just stayed in the form of Owen and continued working as he usually did. He didn't even tell Xanatos what was going on and what trouble it might bring when someone came after him. He acted the same as he always did, and Xanatos was none the wiser. Business as usual.

When Puck had first felt the beginning of the Gathering, he had been half tempted to find Fox's mother, Anastasia, and plead for her to advocate for him. If the gathering had happened a few months ago, he very well would have done that, but not when Fox was pregnant. Queen Titania cared about her family, which was why she had kept the form of Anastasia for so long. Puck was sure that she would be devastated to be away from her daughter, who was just too human to make a life in Avalon. Fox's child though, who would have uncorrupted magical potential, they would most definitely be able to live in Avalon and even learn magic.

Puck didn't think that Anastasia would separate her grandchild from her daughter, but he wasn't so sure about Titania. He knew that she cared about Fox, but it was in a fae's nature to be selfish and act in their own self interest. If Titania wanted someone to keep her company in Avalon, Puck wouldn't put it past her to take her grandchild.

No, Puck couldn't go to Titania. He was sure that the price to be paid for his freedom would be the child, and that was a price that was just far too high for him. Maybe if it was a stranger's part fae child, he would be more than willing to go for it. Puck refused to play a part in taking Xanatos' child from him. And even if he did, he doubted that Xanatos would want anything to do with him afterwards.

So Puck kept to himself and he woke up everyday hoping that he could have just one more day among the humans, one more day with Xanatos. With every day that passed, he got both more terrified and more hopeful.

Finally, one evening, a few hours after Xanatos had already gone up to the castle to spend some time with Fox, Puck was pulled out of his role as Owen when he felt a sudden flux of magic. When Children of Oberon were disguised, they could still be sensed by each other, though it took more effort. Only the most powerful of them could be sensed over such a long distance though, because their powers were just too powerful to hide. Titania was one of them, which was how Puck had been able to find her as Anastasia, but this power that he felt was even stronger than that. The only fae more powerful than Queen Titania was Oberon himself.

Puck dropped what Owen was doing, literally. He didn't care about all of the important papers that fell to the ground, or the conversation that he was in the middle of, he just strode out of the room. He just barely kept himself from transforming into Puck until he was no longer around unsuspecting humans.

Puck didn't know exactly what he planned on doing. He hadn't had very long to figure something out. He'd made precautions, but all of his plans were to fight off other Children of Oberon, not his lord and king. Puck was one of the stronger Children of Oberon, but he was nowhere near Oberon's level when it came to pure power. He wouldn't be able to fight him off, or even run.

Puck was tempted to use the Iron Clan, which he'd commissioned specifically to hold off Oberon, except the reason they'd been made was to keep the baby safe, should Titania or Oberon come after it later. If Puck relied on the Iron Clan now and they got destroyed, he'd be dooming the baby, and he just couldn't do that in good consciousness.

What Puck really wanted to do was run off to Xanatos and ask for his help. He knew that Xanatos would help him should he ask, but Oberon surely wasn't in a good mood. If Xanatos, or anybody else, tried to go up against Oberon he would destroy them. Besides, Xanatos was with Fox, and even if her magic was so subdued that it was now non-existent, if Oberon went up there, he would surely sense the baby's powers, and then they would all be in big trouble.

Not having a solid plan, Puck just did what his instincts demanded and he ran. He used just enough of his magic to fly and make himself invisible to the mortal eye, and he fled. Puck flew to Central Park. The Lady of the Lake had been living there for so long that the whole park reeked of magical energy. Puck knew that it wouldn't hide him forever, but he hoped that it would confuse Oberon just long enough for him to come up with a proper plan.

In his panic, Puck forgot to consider that he would get as confused as Oberon would by the magic in the park. He knew that Oberon was in the city, but once he entered the park, he couldn't sense him out there. Puck was too nervous about getting caught to even think about leaving the park.

Puck had only been in the park for about five minutes when he heard a nearby dog howl, which made him jump. He tried to tell himself he was getting nervous about nothing, but there was something about the howl that sounded not quite mortal. A moment later a gargoyle beast came bounding out of the trees. It wasn't the beast that was a part of Goliath's clan. Puck didn't know where this beast came from, and not knowing made him incredibly nervous.

The gargoyle beast sniffed around, like it was looking for something. Puck held completely still and stayed silent, which didn't feel natural for him. The gargoyle beast shouldn't be able to see him, as his invisibility magic should work as well on gargoyles as it did on humans, but he was still really nervous. After a long, tense moment of the gargoyle beast sniffing around it ended up right in front of Puck, and then it barked.

"Good girl, Boudicca," Puck froze when he heard the very last voice that he wanted to hear. No, no, this really couldn't be happening. Puck had seen this coming, he'd expected it, but that didn't make it any easier to deal with.

Puck let his invisibility spell fall. He moved to speed away, but he'd barely made it a few inches before hot iron chains wrapped around his ankle and yanked him down. Puck grunted when he hit the ground. His breath was knocked right out of him. Puck recovered fairly quickly, but it wasn't fast enough. By the time he felt like he could sit up the chains had wound up over his legs and chest. His arms were bound. He could only move enough to lift his head and look up at Oberon, who glared at him, unimpressed and unamused.

"M-my lord," Puck tried not to let his fear show, but he couldn't hide the way his voice shook. "It's been a while,"

Oberon raised an eyebrow at him. "Were you trying to hide from me?"

"Hide? No," Puck said quickly before he considered that maybe lying wasn't the best strategy here. "Well, maybe." Oberon's glare hardened. "I mean...do I get credit for honesty?"

"You have ignored my summons," Oberon said. He wasn't shouting, and he didn't even sound all that angry, but Puck almost wished that he would start yelling. Oberon had a quick temper, so Puck was used to hearing his lord shout, but it was when Oberon's fury was cold and quiet that Puck knew he was in real trouble.

"I was going to come," Puck said, already forgetting his decision to be honest. Puck was usually pretty good at twisting the truth, but he wasn't at his best. He couldn't focus. Oberon seemed to know that he was lying. Oberon scowled and used his magic to grab at the iron chain. Puck yelped when he was pulled up to his feet. His yelp turned to a scream when the iron tightened around him, squeezing him. Puck could feel his skin burning. He'd been exposed to iron before, this wasn't even the first time that he had been bound by iron chains, but the iron wasn't usually so tight and pure. He was sure these would leave a mark.

"Don't lie to me, Puck," Oberon spat as he leered down at him.

"I just want a little more time!" Puck said. He knew it was hopeless to try to reason with Oberon, but he didn't know what else to do. He had no other ideas. He couldn't run. The iron was keeping him from using his magic, and even if he could use it he was nowhere near strong enough to beat Oberon. Puck couldn't talk his way out of this. Trying to appeal to Oberon's non-existent mercy.

"You have had a thousand years," Oberon glowered. "When you left, it was with the understanding that you would return when I demanded it." Oberon grabbed the hair at Puck's scalp and pulled on it to force Puck to look up at him. He could have just used his magic to make Puck meet his gaze, but this method reminded Puck that Oberon wasn't just his superior when it came to magic, he was his lord and king, and he could do whatever he wanted to Puck.

"Lord Oberon," Puck said. "Please," Oberon seemed uninterested in hearing anything that he had to say. With a wave of his hand Oberon made the chains rise up past his chest, up around his neck, choking him. The chains continued up until they covered Puck's mouth, burning it. Puck tried to scream, but the chains were so tight that he could barely make a sound more than a whimper.

"You will return to Avalon," Oberon said. "And you will pay for your insolence." Oberon turned and began to walk back through the park, with the gargoyle beast following him obediently. Puck was dragged behind him, unable to resist or get away. Puck couldn't even lash out in his panic the way that he normally would, which just made him feel even more terrified. Earlier, he just hadn't wanted to go to Avalon, it hadn't interested him. Now though, tied up in iron and being dragged back by Lord Oberon himself shook him to the core. He didn't know what Oberon had in mind for him, but he knew that it couldn't be anything good.

Puck was only pulled along for a short while before Oberon came to the magical portal that he had likely used to bring him to Manhattan in the first place. Puck was pulled up and shoved through the door in front of Lord Oberon. As Puck was pushed through he felt a strong pull deep inside him. It felt similar to how it did when Puck was summoned, except the name running through his head wasn't the trickster's, it was Owen's.

' _Where are you?'_ The pull seemed to say. It wasn't an actual voice, but Puck recognized it as though it was, and he knew exactly who was calling out to him.

David Xanatos. Puck had hoped that it would be a bit more time before the man noticed he was gone. Puck was already scared to go home, but knowing that someone here was already looking for him made it even harder to leave.

"I'm sorry," Puck muttered. "I don't want to go," In an instant, the noise and slight chill of the evening was replaced with warm, but not uncomfortable, fresh air. It should feel incredibly nice, like the most beautiful, pleasant, perfect summer evening that someone could imagine. It made Puck feel sick to his stomach.

Oberon released the gargoyle beast and pulled Puck out of the courtyard and into the palace. Puck was vaguely aware of all the Children of Oberon around them. It had been so long since he had seen his people, and at any other time he would probably have the time of his life, at least with Coyote, Anansi, and the other tricksters. Being paraded in though, with everybody watching and whispering about him, it definitely wasn't the situation Puck had hoped for.

Puck had known that Oberon would make an example of him, but he hadn't thought he would be dragged up in front of literally everybody and forced to kneel in front of Oberon's throne while his lord leered over him.

"Silence!" Oberon shouted, his voice piercing through all the chattering. The hall immediately went quiet. Oberon glared at all of them. "I sent you out among the humans to learn humility.. However, many of you have returned proud and insolent. Even my own servant thinks he's above my word and law."

Oberon waved his hand and the chains around Puck dropped to the ground. Puck took a deep breath, though it quickly got restricted when the chains around his neck were replaced with an iron cuff, fit firmly around his neck. Hot iron cuffs appeared around his wrists as well. It burned, but not as badly as the chains had.

Oberon grabbed Puck's hair again and pulled on it to force Puck to tilt his head down and to the side, exposing the side of his head. My queen has told me that you've been pretending to be human. Is that why you have chosen to defy me?"

Puck struggled to swallow. "I-it's not that," He said quietly. Being Owen had been fun and incredibly interesting, but it wasn't the reason why he wanted to stay. Xanatos was the reason. He couldn't exactly say that though. Not knowing what else to say, and desperate to get at least some of the blame off his shoulders, Puck tried to deflect. "I wasn't the only one who took a human form," It was normal for Children of Oberon to disguise themselves. It made things so much more interesting.

"But you were one of the only ones who wanted to stay that way," Oberon said coldly. He grabbed the tip of Puck's ear and folded it painfully down until it was touching the lobe. Puck flinched and tried to pull away, but Oberon just used his magic to freeze him where he knelt. "If you want to be human so much, then you shall look like one until you learn to appreciate what you have here,"

Oberon held out his hand and suddenly Puck felt a stabbing, burning feeling pierce through both the tip of his ear and the lobe. For just a moment the painful part was the stab itself, but then the burn really registered and overwhelmed all of Puck's other senses. Puck screamed so harshly and loudly that his throat already felt raw.

When the pain didn't go away, but only seemed to burn hotter, Puck, instinctively wanting to get away from the pain, even though he couldn't physically move, lashed out with his magic. He unintentionally sent a wave of pure, unbridled magical energy out. His magic was nowhere near strong enough to hurt Oberon, but it seemed to surprise and distract Oberon enough that his magical hold on Puck loosened. Puck collapsed in on himself and gasped in pain

Puck had hoped that when Oberon's hold on him went away, so would the pain, but that wasn't the case. It still felt like something was stabbing through Puck's ear. He reached towards his ear, either to ease the pain or at least find out what was causing it in the first place. When he felt his ear, he yelped and yanked his hand away as it got burned. He would recognize the feel of iron anywhere.

Puck's breath quickened not just from pain, but panic too. He'd been burned by iron, but never stabbed by it. It was a whole new level of pain, that he hadn't even thought was possible. That was to say nothing of the discomfort and humiliation of having his ear tips forcibly pinned to his lobes.

Oberon quickly recovered from Puck's lashing out. He used his magic to hold Puck in place again and do the same thing to his other ear. Puck hadn't calmed down from the first time, but feeling the fresh pain again and the horrifying thought that he would have iron stuck in his ears for however long as Oberon deemed necessary, Puck freaked out. He let out a scream that would have made the banshee proud.

"Quiet," Oberon said, clearly annoyed. Puck could hear the order in his tone, he knew he should obey, because Oberon was his lord and king. All of the Children of Oberon should feel obligated to do as he commanded, to serve him no matter what, but Puck just kept on screaming. He couldn't help it. He was scared, and it _hurt_. Oberon seethed and Puck felt iron around his wrists and neck get tighter.

"I said be quiet," Oberon shouted. Any muttering in the hall from the other Children of Oberon, who must've been shocked to see Puck's punishment, as it was a little harsher than their lord normally used, fell silent. Puck's scream got caught in his throat, like it was physically obstructed, but it only lasted for a moment. Eventually Puck's scream won out over Oberon's command. It was almost physically painful, to disobey, but Puck didn't do it by choice. He just couldn't keep his pain in.

"You dare to disobey me," Oberon growled. He grabbed Puck by his hair and lifted him to eye-level. Puck struggled to keep himself quiet, but the best he could do was tone it down from a shriek to a harsh whimper and occasional sob. Puck couldn't say that he hadn't meant to disobey, he just cringed and hoped that Oberon didn't punish him too harshly.

"My lord," Titania came up to Oberon and put a hand on his arm. She spoke quietly so nobody else could hear them. "Control yourself," If Titania was anybody else, Oberon would have torn her apart for even suggesting that he needed to change his behavior. He usually listened to his queen though, and Puck had never been more relieved to have her advocate on his behalf. "Perhaps this isn't the time or place for this,"

Oberon took a long, deep breath and obviously took a lot of restraint on his part. He released Puck and let him fall to the ground. "I shall deal with you later, my servant," Oberon said, and Puck knew this wasn't just an empty threat. The only reason why Oberon wasn't punishing him further right now was because they had an audience. It would be a mistake for Oberon to show weakness and frustration in front of all the Children of Oberon, especially so soon after the Gathering had started.

With a wave of his hand Puck was surrounded by magic. When it faded he found himself in the dungeons. There were chains attached to the cuffs around his wrists and neck. These chains were connected to the floor and forced Puck into a kneeling position, with his head bowed. He knew this was Oberon's way of trying to teach him humility.

The dungeons were quiet. There were no sounds to distract or amuse him. No sign that anybody else was down here. Puck was completely on his own, with no company except for the silence and his own burning pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been rewatching the show lately, and while watching the Gathering episodes I realized that if baby Alex hadn't been born at the exact same time, Oberon would have taken Puck back to Avalon.


	2. Chapter 2

Titania didn't consider herself kinder than her lord, Oberon, she just wasn't as cruel as him. Titania was just a fae who knew what she wanted and how to get it. Titania was capable of intimidating and threatening people into giving her what she wanted, but that was lord Oberon's main method of accomplishing things, and she didn't want to anger him by stealing his spotlight. She had learned a long time ago that the best way to get what she wanted from Oberon was by charming and reasoning with him.

It didn't just work on Oberon either. Titania had found that more often than not, if you couldn't convince someone through intimidation, you could reach them with kind words and a gentle tone. Showing compassion, even if it was all a farce, could be all that was needed to get someone to open up to you.

Titania could tell that her lord was struggling with his servant. Titania had known that Puck wouldn't be happy about returning to Avalon. He was a free spirit at heart, possibly more than any of the other Children of Oberon. Puck had been thriving in his role as Owen, and Titania had known that he would be reluctant to give that up. She hadn't expected this level of defiance from him.

Oberon spent a lot of time in Puck's secluded cell. Titania hadn't seen the trickster since Oberon had sent him off, but every time Oberon returned from visiting him, he was more and more furious. It was Titania's job to calm down her lord and offer him advice. That was her role as queen.

While Titania hadn't seen Puck for herself, she'd heard a lot about him, because he seemed to be the only thing that Oberon was thinking about. Titania had gathered that Oberon was testing Puck with orders and demands. Puck followed some of them, because he had to know that he would be punished if he didn't do as he was told. However, when Oberon gave him difficult to follow commands that went against Puck's instinct, the trickster fought him on it.

Titania doubted Puck was doing it on purpose, and she thought that Oberon knew it as well, but it was still problematic. All of the Children of Oberon served Oberon, as he was their king. They were bonded to each other. If Puck was able to defy any of Oberon's commands, no matter how much they fought his instincts, it meant there was something wrong with the bond.

Oberon had been trying to figure out what Puck had done to disrupt, but not completely break, their bond. He hadn't gotten anywhere, and Oberon was getting frustrated. It reached the point where Titania thought she should intervene. If Oberon got too worked up, he might end up doing some real damage to Puck, and where exactly would that get them?

After an especially long and clearly frustrating session between Oberon and Puck, Titania made her suggestion to Oberon. "Perhaps I should try speaking with Puck,"

"I don't need him coddled," Oberon said tiredly. "I need him to learn his place." Titania couldn't help but be amused that Oberon referred to her methods as _coddling_. Most humans would call it manipulative

"My lord, if anybody knows why he hasn't been obeying your every command, it would be Puck," Titania said. "If torture and threats haven't worked to loosen his tongue, perhaps a softer touch will."

Oberon sighed. He had been spending a lot of time with Puck, trying to figure out what was going on. Titania knew that her lord was exhausted, and her little trickster was probably just as ready for a break as Oberon was. "I'll humor you," Oberon said. "Just don't be too soft on him."

"Never, my lord," Titania said. She kissed Oberon's cheek. "I won't be too long," She stepped away from Oberon and summoned her magic to bring her to Puck's cell. The trickster looked in worse shape than he had when she'd last seen him. His long hair that he was normally so proud of was tangled and not as shiny as it normally was. Puck's neck and wrists were inflamed from the iron cuffs, but they didn't look nearly as bad as his ears, which were so red they looked like Coyote had played one of his tricks on him.

Puck's head was lowered, and he didn't look up, but the way he stiffened told Titania that she knew she was there. "Back again so soon, my lord?" The words themselves were respectful enough, but Puck's tone was just dripping in rebelliousness. Oberon would have been furious to hear it.

"I'm not your lord," Titania said. Puck lifted his head as much as he could, his eyes wide in surprise. "You're quite lucky that I'm not,"

"M-my queen," Puck gave her a strained grin. "I would stand to greet you, but I'm a little tied up at the moment,"

Titania frowned and knelt next to Puck. She put a hand on his head. She felt his miniscule flinch, which was so small that she probably wouldn't have noticed it at all if she wasn't touching him.

"Our lord has done quite a number on you, hasn't he?" Titania said. Puck wasn't one to flinch. Even when he played the part of Owen, who was supposed to be someone who was slightly uncomfortable around people, he didn't flinch at personal contact. The fact that he had flinched, as well as the little stutter that Titania hadn't failed to notice, told her that Puck was far more scared than he let on.

"It's not that bad," Puck shrugged and tilted his head. Titania didn't appreciate being lied to. She let her hand fall from his head and brush his ear. Puck hissed and drew away from her as much as he could. This increased the pressure of the iron collar around his neck, making Puck gag and stop resisting.

"You've always been a flighty fae," Titania said. She gently pulled Puck towards her, bringing him to rest his head on her legs. Titania began to brush her fingers through Puck's hair, trying to sooth him and get the tangles out of his hair at once. "Being chained with iron, especially for such a long time, is physical torture for any fae. Being forced to stay in one place for too long would be torture for anybody as spirited as you. You can't tell me that going through both isn't too bad."

Puck quickly relaxed into this familiar position. Before they'd been banished from Oberon, Titania used to spend hours brushing Puck's hair. She had always liked Puck. He always played his flute to cheer her up whenever she had a fight with Oberon. In return, she would give Puck sanctuary when one of his tricks went just a step too far and one of the Children of Oberon was looking for revenge.

That wasn't to say that Titania hadn't had her moments where she'd been irritated with Puck. She was still bitter about his little trick with Nick Bottom, but she couldn't stay angry with her little Robin.

"Our lord isn't pleased with you," Titania said.

"He never is," Puck said in a tired, somewhat bored voice that reminded Titania of the days when Puck had been eager to leave Avalon and shake things up.

"You're really starting to test his patience," Titania said.

"Oh, is it patience that he's been showing so far?" Puck asked. Titania gave his hair a light pull.

"Don't get smart with me, little Robin," Titania said sternly. "You've been disobeying our lord's orders."

"Not on purpose," Puck whined.

"It doesn't matter if it's on purpose or not," Titania said. "He sees the fact that you're able to resist him as a threat. Your bond as master and servant should make resistance to direct orders impossible."

"He's still my lord and king," Puck said. "I can feel that much, but master…" Puck trailed off and clutched at Titania's dress. "That doesn't feel right anymore."

Titania frowned. She had suspected it to be something like this, but it was still a surprise to hear. For faes, bonds of any kind were a serious matter. It was why Titania had been drawn back to Oberon, even after being divorced for so long. It was why Puck had found her, even when they were living among the mortals. It was why Raven and Grandmother were always at odds with each other, even though it would be much easier for both of them if one of them just chose a different territory.

Fae bonds couldn't be broken. They could, however, be replaced.

"Why did you make a new bond?" Titania asked. She kept any sign of anger, fear, or judgement out of her tone. She was merely curious.

"New bond?" Puck turned his head to look up at her. He was genuinely confused. "I didn't make any new bond."

"Then tell me," Titania said. "Who comes to your mind when you think of your master?"

Puck was quiet for a moment before he buried his face back into Titania's dress and curled up as much as he could. He mumbled something into her legs.

"What was that?" Titania pulled gently on Puck's hair to encourage him to speak up.

"Xanatos," Puck said quietly, but with conviction. He pulled away from Titania and looked at her with wide, scared eyes. "David Xanatos is my master." Puck's fingers started to twitch nervously. Titania was sure that if he wasn't chained down, Puck would be fluttering around anxiously, waving his arms around like he was prone to do. "Lord Oberon's going to kill me,"

Titania hummed in slight agreement. She knew her husband would be displeased. However, he may not take it as badly as Puck feared. "He knows as well as we do that a bond isn't formed willfully." Children of Oberon couldn't choose which relationships became true bonds, everybody knew that.

"That won't stop him from taking it out on me," Puck said, and he had a point. Oberon's temper couldn't always be swayed by things such as reasoning. "What if he tries to break the bond?"

"Bonds can't be broken so easily," Titania said. "Even killing one of the bonded doesn't guarantee that the bond itself breaks." She had been trying to reassure Puck, but her words only seemed to scare Puck more.

"Kill?" Puck's terrified expression didn't suit him. This wasn't how Titania liked to see her Puck. "Oberon's going to kill David!"

"Don't be ridiculous," Titania waved off Puck's concerns. They were legitimate worries, as Oberon may just be desperate enough to try anything to get his servant's complete obedience back. "Do you really think I would let my lord kill my daughter's husband?" Titania loved her daughter. She didn't want to cause her distress, especially since she knew her daughter would never forgive her for it.

However, Titania couldn't just keep this new revelation from Oberon. He would find out sooner rather than later. It would be better for all of them if Titania told them immediately, so she could better control his reaction.

"There is no reason for us to be civil about this," Titania said. "I'm sure our lord can work things out with your master."

Puck groaned and hid face in his hands. "By the charms of the fair ones, David's my master. He's never going to let me live that down," Puck was quiet for a moment before he chuckled and shook his head. "He's going to find it hilarious," Puck separated his fingers just enough to look at Titania, a sly grin on his face. "How many humans do you think would laugh when they learn they're master over a powerful fae?"

"Not many," Titania admitted. Even Halcyon, who was one of the most honorable humans Titania had ever met, would struggle with all the temptations that came with so much power. Titania didn't know Xanatos as well as Puck did, but from what Fox had told her, she believed that generally, Xanatos actually would go mad with power if he was master of any other Children of Oberon. Puck was the exception to that. According to Fox, even though Xanatos didn't have many people he would consider friends, Owen, or Puck, was one of the few that he did.

"Does Xanatos know who you are?" Titania asked. She knew that Fox didn't know, but Fox didn't know anything of the Children of Oberon. Xanatos had hunted and tried to capture too many of the Children of Oberon for him to be oblivious of just who the fair folk were.

Puck nodded and grinned fondly. "He's known for a few years. David was just too much fun, I couldn't resist telling him. I offered him a deal. I could grant him a wish, any wish, or he would get a lifetime of service from Owen." Puck blinked and his grin dimmed as he realized the implication of what he had just said. Titania came to the same conclusion as him.

"That was when your bond formed," Titania said. It was impossible to tell beforehand just what could be said or done to encourage a bond to form. After the fact though, it was all too obvious what the instigator was. Puck had promised Xanatos a lifetime of service. Their bond just took their deal a step further.

"I didn't mean to make a bond," Puck said almost shyly." Titania gave him a gentle smile and kissed his forehead.

"I know you didn't, my little Robin," Titania brushed his hair behind his ears, being careful to not irritate the inflamed skin. "I shall speak to Oberon on your behalf." It was one thing for Oberon to punish Puck for willful defiance, and another to punish him for something that he couldn't help. Titania stood up. "I'll come visit you again soon." She used her magic to leave the cell and return to the throne room, where Oberon was waiting impatiently for her.

"Well?" Oberon asked. "Did you learn what is going on with my servant?"

"For one thing, he's no longer your servant," Titania said casually. As she expected, Oberon looked furious at her words. Titania held up her hands to calm him before he got himself too worked up. "It's not the Puck's fault. He is still your loyal subject. You're his lord and king, but he has unintentionally bonded with a new master."

Oberon was still angry, but he no longer looked like he wanted to tear Puck apart. Titania's quiet and controlled advocacy for Puck helped Oberon to see that the mischievous fae wasn't intentionally defying him this time. Oberon took a deep breath. "Who is this new master of his?" Oberon's tone made it clear that he didn't respect Puck's new master, and he didn't even know that he was mortal yet.

"A human by the name of David Xanatos," Titania said. Oberon was shocked for a moment, but he soon recovered and started laughing.

"A human?" Oberon's laugh was nearly cruel sounding. "The proud Puck is servant to a human? It's not exactly what I had in mind when I told you all to learn humility from the mortals."

"I think you'll find that David Xanatos is not just any human," Titania said. It took a special kind of mortal to attract the attention of a single fae, and yet Xanatos had drawn in both Puck and Fox. And from what Titania had heard, Xanatos had also managed to find other Children of Oberon, even though their kind were usually really good at hiding from people.

At Titania's words, Oberon seemed to find the situation less humorous. "This David Xanatos is still a human though," Oberon frowned. "Does he just have Puck's servitude, or his loyalty too?"

Titania considered the way that Puck talked about Xanatos, and what she'd heard about Owen from Fox. "Oh, Puck is most certainly loyal to him."

Oberon scoffed. "No Child of Oberon is completely loyal to humans."

"Perhaps not," Titania knew for herself how difficult it was to remain loyal to humans, even ones that she was fond of. She had loved Halcyon, but Oberon was the only one who could keep her interest. Titania cared for her daughter, but even when she was playing the part of Anastasia, she'd had a hard time giving Fox as much attention as she'd probably deserved. That was just Titania's experience though.

"Puck has surprised us before," Titania reminded her husband. It was why Oberon liked Puck so much. For creatures who lived as long as they did, very little could surprise them.

Oberon narrowed his eyes. "Yes…" Oberon usually enjoyed Puck's little surprises, but this one was probably just a little too different for him to tolerate. "We need to know exactly where Puck's loyalties lie." Titania thought that Puck could be loyal to both his lord and his master, but she knew that Oberon wasn't of the same opinion. As far as Oberon was concerned, loyalty was all or nothing. The fae either followed him completely, or they were traitors to their kind.

"Perhaps we should speak with David Xanatos," Titania suggested. Oberon's scowl showed just what he thought of her suggestion. "As Puck's master, he has a right to know where his servant is,"

"Yes, I suppose you're right," Oberon agreed reluctantly.

"And we may be able to come to an arrangement with him," Titania said. This cheered up Oberon slightly.

"Yes, alright," Oberon waved her off. "We'll just have to find this David Xanatos and explain things to him."

"Leave that to me, my lord," Titania gave Oberon a small bow. She knew just where to find Xanatos. Besides, going to Manhattan would give her the chance to see her daughter, and Titania would take any chance she could get to visit Fox. Titania loved it when she could do business and pleasure at once.


	3. Chapter 3

Xanatos frowned and tapped his fingers on his desk. He had always considered himself a patient man. He'd worked under Renard for years before he'd found the opportunity he was looking for to build up his own business. He'd known from the moment he'd laid eyes on Fox that she was the woman for him, but he'd put off actively courting her until he was no longer working under her father, and Fox was a little older and able to know what she wanted.

Most of Xanatos' plans were long-term. It took slow and careful planning, and just as careful an execution of those plans, for someone to achieve everything that Xanatos had. Someone didn't become successful by their own devices by being hasty.

However, even Xanatos had a limit to his patience. That limit was his family and those he cared about. Xanatos could count on one hand the number of people who fell under those categories, and he was grateful there weren't more. Don't get him wrong, he didn't regret caring about Fox and Owen, but it could get terribly inconvenient sometimes. It was really hard to maintain the image he'd worked so hard to get when someone he cared about was in danger. He was normally cold, calculated, and professional. When someone he loved was being threatened, compromises had to be made.

This was difficult to deal with for just a few hours, which was normally how long the danger lasted for, but because it didn't actually last that long, most people didn't even notice that something was wrong in the first place. Owen had been missing for an entire week, and Xanatos was sure that even the lowest secretaries could tell that Xanatos wasn't handling it well.

Xanatos had pushed all of his other projects onto the backburner. He had built up his company so that it could all but run itself, in case of an emergency, but it wasn't often that neither Xanatos nor Owen was at least checking in on things, but there was nothing else to be done about it. None of Xanatos' current projects was more valuable to him than Owen's service and loyalty. As long as Owen was missing, Xanatos couldn't just act like it was business as usual.

Xanatos barely spent five minutes a day making sure that things in his company were running smoothly. He spent nearly the rest of his time looking into every possible avenue he could think of to find Owen. Xanatos talked to the gargoyles, pleading with them to keep an eye out for Owen, and hinting that he was looking for Puck as well. He asked Anton Sevarius if Owen had started a new project with him. It wouldn't be the first time that Owen had done something that he was so sure Xanatos would approve of that he didn't even bother asking for permission.

Xanatos had even gone to Demona and demanded to know if she had tried to summon Puck again. He was careful to not even imply to her that he was looking so desperately for Owen. Demona was a complicated gargoyle that Xanatos wouldn't trust as far as he could throw her. If Demona knew that Owen was missing, or that Xanatos cared so much about him, she would somehow use that to her advantage.

The only people that Xanatos didn't talk to were the Pack, and Thailog. They were loyal to nobody but themselves and their riches. They may do what Xanatos asked if he paid them enough, but they were just as likely to stab him in the back if somebody else offered them a better deal.

Xanatos only took a break from his search for Owen because Fox forced him to. She would make sure he slept every night and ate regularly. She had even started to play the mediator between him and his employees after David had snapped, shouted at, and nearly fired a poor intern who had asked what was so important about Owen anyways.

Fox was the only thing keeping Xanatos somewhat sane.

"Calm down, David," Fox said. Xanatos knew that she wasn't anywhere near as concerned as he was about Owen and his whereabouts, but she didn't talk to him like she thought he was overreacting. "Owen's a grown man, he knows how to take care of himself." David knew she was technically right, but he couldn't bring himself to relax.

"He never goes anywhere without telling me first," Xanatos said. Fox raised an eyebrow at him.

"You don't control or own Owen, David," Fox said. "He doesn't have to tell you everything." Her words made sense, but Xanatos couldn't help but feel like it was somehow wrong. It just didn't feel right.

"It's not like him to disappear without a word," Xanatos said. He hadn't forgotten the report he'd been given that Owen had disappeared without a word, and he'd looked nearly panicked before leaving.

"Maybe he's had a family emergency," Fox suggested. Everything she had said so far had made perfect sense, but Xanatos knew that she was off the mark this time. Owen was a persona that Puck wore, and the fae didn't have family the way that humans did. The closest thing that Puck had to family were the other Children of Oberon...although, that was something to consider. What if Puck had a run in with a Child of Oberon?

"...Maybe," Xanatos wished that Puck would have told him more about the Children of Oberon. If Owen was having trouble with one of them, Xanatos had no way of knowing who, or how to find them.

Fox kissed his forehead and ran her fingers through his hair. At any other time, Xanatos would think that she was in an intimate mood, but he knew that wasn't what she was going for. Fox was just trying to comfort him in a way that she knew how. Xanatos wasn't exactly a physically affectionate person, but he found himself leaning into her touch anyways.

Their moment was interrupted when they heard a knock on the door. They were in the castle, and with Owen gone, they should be the only ones there. Xanatos liked his privacy, so there wasn't even security hanging around. Who could possibly be here?

Xanatos frowned and reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a blaster gun. He stood up and approached the door. Fox put a hand on his arm and moved ahead of him to answer the door. She was of a better mindset to handle an unexpected guest diplomatically. It was always good to be prepared, which was why Xanatos didn't lower his gun, but if somebody was bothering to knock, they probably weren't there to stir up trouble.

Fox opened the door and they were shocked to see Anastasia Renard standing there. Xanatos had only met Anastasia a handful of times. Even when he'd been working for Halcyon Renard, Anastasia had been around, but not among everybody else. She did her own research on her own. For the longest time, Xanatos had half wondered if Anastasia was somebody that Halcyon had made up.

Since Fox had gotten pregnant, David had seen Anastasia much more frequently. Fox was pleased to see so much of her mother, but Xanatos had been getting more and more suspicious of her. He had no reason to not trust Anastasia, other than the fact that every time she came by, Owen was noticeably nervous and distracted. There weren't a lot of things that could get to Owen's head, so Xanatos was being cautious about it, without letting Fox know that her mother's presence made him a little uncomfortable.

"Mother?" Fox was taken aback, but when Anastasia went in for a hug, she returned the embrace.. "What are you doing here?"

"I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd come by for a visit," Anastasia said. She rested a hand on Fox's baby bump. "And how's our little prince doing?"

Fox grimaced and put a hand on her stomach protectively. "I told you not to call the baby that. We don't even know if they're going to be a boy." Xanatos had wanted to learn the baby's gender, because he wanted to be as prepared for the baby's arrival as possible, but Fox didn't want to have any expectations. Since Fox was the one bearing the child, Xanatos thought it was only fair that this particular decision was hers to make.

"No, he's a boy, trust me," Anastasia smiled knowingly. For a moment Xanatos thought he saw Anastasia's green eyes flash to an icy blue. It was gone in a moment, so Xanatos told himself that it was just his imagination. "I know these things." Anastasia's gaze lingered on Fox's stomach for a long moment before she looked away and turned her gaze towards Xanatos. Her expression was unreadable.

"David, I'm glad to see you here," Anastasia approached him. She didn't look the least bit bothered by the blaster in his hands. "I have something to talk to you about."

"Is this a business matter?" Xanatos asked slowly. He had heard from Fox that Anastasia did a lot of science work still, but Fox was never very good at explaining just what her mother's work was.

"It's more of a family matter," Anastasia said, and when her eyes flashed icy blue again, Xanatos was sure that it wasn't his imagination.

Xanatos was confused for a long moment. If there was a family matter, why wouldn't Anastasia speak with Fox? Xanatos may be Anastasia's son in law, but they'd had very few conversations. In fact, Xanatos believed that their only real conversation had been when Anastasia had introduced him to Owen. All those years ago, When Xanatos had asked if Owen was at all related to Preston Vogel. Owen had just smirked and Anastasia had looked amused. Back then, she'd told Xanatos that Owen was a distant relative of hers.

Xanatos hadn't thought twice about what she'd said, and he'd nearly forgotten about it. Now he realized just how little sense it made. Owen wasn't a real person, he was just the disguised form of Puck. How could Anastasia be a distant relative of Puck?

Xanatos narrowed his eyes at Anastasia. "Is this about Owen?" He didn't see the way that Fox rolled her eyes. He was too busy taking notice of the way that Anastasia's eyes lit up.

"Oh, you are an observant one." Anastasia said, and she sounded rather pleased with herself. "No wonder my Fox and little Robin are so fond of you."

Little Robin, a meaningless sounding phrase, except Xanatos knew what it meant. The night after Xanatos had learned that Fox was pregnant, he'd been feeling overwhelmed. He didn't exactly have the best relationship with his father or his father in law. He didn't really know how to be a father. Xanatos wasn't normally afraid of trying something new, but with science, messing up was how you learned. When raising a child, if you messed up, you couldn't just throw away your failed experiments and try again. Your mistakes ended up being the kid's trauma, and that wasn't something Xanatos wanted to have on his shoulders.

Owen had suggested that Xanatos get a drink to relax, calm down, and get his mind off of things. Xanatos had agreed, but only if he had company, and if he was going to drink, he was going to do so in the comfort of his own home. Owen had sighed in annoyance, but he'd taken his glasses off and shifted into the form of Puck. Owen wasn't the type of person to drink, even when it was his idea, but Puck was always more than happy to let loose.

While Puck was drunk, he opened up about his life on Avalon. Xanatos had been a little drunk himself, but he had dedicated every word that came out of Puck's mouth to his memory. It wasn't often that Puck talked about the Children of Oberon, and Xanatos wanted to learn all he could.

Puck had talked about some of the tricks he and some of the other tricksters had played. He talked about how strict Oberon was. He, of course, mentioned how boring Avalon could be sometimes. What Xanatos remembered now though was that Puck had another name, Robin Goodfellow. He rarely went by that name, except that, according to Puck, Queen Titania used to call him her little Robin.

And now, Anastasia was using that name.

Xanatos straightened and tightened his grip on the gun. Without taking his gaze away from Anastasia, Xanatos addressed his wife. "Honey, I need to speak to your mother. Would you give us some space." It wasn't a question, and Fox could tell. She didn't look happy about being told to leave when her mother and husband were speaking, but she could see the serious expression in Xanatos' eyes and the mysterious look in Anastasia's.

"I expect you to give me some answers later," Fox said sternly, and Xanatos knew that she wasn't going to be taking no as an answer.

"Of course," Xanatos said. Fox didn't know that Owen was Puck. Xanatos wanted to tell her, but not until Owen approved. Fox stared at Xanatos and Anastasia in suspicion, but she left the room without complaint. The moment they were alone, Xanatos raised the gun again and aimed it straight at Anastasia. He glared at her coldly.

"Tell me three things. Who are you, how do you know Puck, and where is he?" Xanatos asked. He wasn't going to accept any nonsense answers from her. He wanted the truth here.

Anastasia smiled at him. Her smile was gentle, but her eyes were cruel, and her eyes flashed blue again. Anastasia raised her arms and was suddenly covered in a blinding flash of light. When the light faded, Anastasia was replaced with someone who clearly wasn't human.

"I am Titania, lady wife of Oberon, King of Avalon." Titania said. "Puck has been called back to Avalon, same as all the other Children of Oberon. The Gathering has begun."

"How long will it last?" Xanatos asked. What he was really wondering was when Owen could return to him.

"Nobody knows," Titania said. "At least a millenia." That wasn't good enough for Xanatos. At least right now, he wasn't immortal. Maybe a thousand years wasn't too long for fae, but it was an impossible amount of time for humans.

"I need Puck to be returned to me sooner," Xanatos said.

"Yes, I thought you would say as much," Titania said. "It was why I came here, to bring you to my lord and king. Oberon would like to see you as well."

Xanatos frowned. "How does Oberon know who I am?" He may have been involving himself in the matters of the fae, but he didn't think it was anywhere near enough for Oberon to know who he was.

"I told him," Titania said. "Oberon wanted to know who had stolen Puck's loyalty from him." Xanatos couldn't help but smirk to himself. He'd known that Owen was loyal to him, he had to be, because of their deal, but it was nice to know that he had Puck's loyalty as well.

"If Puck is loyal to me, why is he in Avalon?" Xanatos asked.

"He has no choice," Titania said. "If you want to retrieve him, you'll have to come to Avalon yourself." Titania sounded very eager, almost like they were about to start playing a game. Xanatos knew that he got like that sometimes , but it wasn't nice to be on the other end of the planning.

"If going to Avalon is an option, of course I'll come." Xanatos said. Not only did he want to get Owen back, but going to Avalon was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Xanatos would be able to see where magic came from, and it might help him to come up with other ways he could use magic.

Titania nearly smirked. She raised her arm and what looked like a magical doorway appeared. Titania gestured for Xanatos to enter. Maybe it wasn't a smart idea to walk into a magical doorway that a mischievous fae had summoned, but when it came to magic, Xanatos was never as cautious as most people were. He didn't hesitate for a moment before walking straight into the magical door that brought him to Avalon.

As Xanatos left through the other side of the door he found himself at the end of a long, broad hallway. A throne room. Sitting in a throne all the way at the other end of the hall was a fae that had magical power just flowing off of him. Xanatos assumed that this was Oberon. Kneeling at Oberon's side, bound by chains and forced into an uncomfortable position, was the very fae that Xanatos had come here for.

"Puck."


	4. Chapter 4

Everything was muddled for Puck after Titania left. He didn't know if she had done something to him, or if it was just his own exhaustion and fear finally catching up to him, but he couldn't focus. The only clear thought in Puck's head was that he really shouldn't be here, and David Xanatos was his master.

Puck didn't know how long he was in the cell after Titania left. It could have been a few seconds, a few hours, or an entire millenia Eventually, he felt Oberon's magic surround him. A moment later, Puck found himself kneeling next to Oberon. The cell had been claustrophobic, but Puck would rather be back there and by himself than out here and so close to Oberon.

"You never fail to surprise me, little Puck," Oberon said in a condescending tone. He put a hand on Puck's head and pushed down on it ever so slightly. Puck cringed and prepared himself for pain, but nothing happened. Oberon chuckled and stroked Puck's hair in the way that Titania sometimes did. While it could be soothing from Titania, it felt patronizing and threatening from Oberon. Puck couldn't get the thought out of his head that in this position, it would be only too easy for Oberon to do him some real harm. He was completely at Oberon's mercy.

"Of all the fae, you were one of the last ones I would expect to serve a mortal." Oberon said. In a different situation, Puck might have laughed. Oberon definitely saw a different side of the Children of Oberon than he did. Puck thought that of all the Children of Oberon, he was one of the fae who was the most likely to be willing to work under humans. Puck didn't see mortals as the inferior race. They didn't have magic or live very long, but they were just so pleasantly unpredictable. Puck was also used to being a servant. He'd served Oberon for as long as he could remember. If Puck had been told a hundred years ago that he would be bonded to a human as their servant, he would have been confused, but not completely shocked.

"I didn't mean to do it," Puck said quietly. He cringed when he felt Oberon increase the pressure on his head.

"Of course not," Oberon's tone was casual, but his tightened grip on Puck's hair revealed that he was anything but. "Nobody can control who they're bonded to. However," Oberon gripped Puck's hair and pushed down, making Puck hit his head harshly on the floor. "You can imagine why I wouldn't want word to get out that my loyal servant is not, in fact, _my_ servant."

Puck cringed and stayed down, despite the incredibly uncomfortable position. Sometimes Oberon was amused when somebody defied him ever so slightly by standing up after he'd knocked them down, but Puck didn't think this was one of those times, and he didn't want to take that chance. Oberon needed to see that Puck was still willing to submit to him.

He wished that Titania was around. She was good at calming down Oberon, especially when it had been so long since they'd separated and Oberon was desperate to keep Titania happy.

Just a moment after Puck had thought this, he felt Titania's power. He glanced up to see a portal opening. He instantly recognized it as one of the doors that Titania used to travel between Avalon and the mortal realm. Puck felt his chest tighten as he thought that Titania had probably been visiting her daughter. Maybe she'd said something to David. Puck hoped she had...he hoped she hadn't.

Puck froze when he saw that the person who first came through the entrance wasn't Titania.

"Puck." Xanatos froze when he saw him, but only for an instant. Puck grinned slightly when he saw the passionate fire that he admired so much burning in Xanatos' eyes. Titania came out of the doorway just behind Xanatos, but Puck barely noticed her at all. His attention was completely on his bonded master.

"David," Puck said in quiet relief. His master was here. Everything was going to be okay now. Puck began to rise up off his knees to approach Xanatos and stand at his side, where he belonged, but he forgot his place. Oberon glared at Puck, grabbed his hair, and tossed him to the side. Puck cringed and couldn't help but yelp when the chains around his throat and wrists tightened and burned his skin.

"Hey!" Xanatos stormed over, raising what looked like a blaster gun. Puck stared in awe and slight shock when Xanatos aimed the weapon right at Oberon and put himself between Puck and the king of the fae. Only Xanatos would put himself between a furious immortal and the source of his anger. It was suicidal. It was just like Xanatos.

Oberon raised an eyebrow at Xanatos. With a simple wave of his hand the blaster turned to dust in Xanatos' hands. Despite this, Xanatos still looked ready to take on Oberon in a fight. He had never been the kind of person to back down from a fight just because the odds were against him.

"So, you're the Puck's new master," Oberon looked like he couldn't decide whether he wanted to shout or laugh.

"Master?" Xanatos frowned and looked at Puck in confusion. Puck would normally smirk, shrug, and say something snarky, but he was just so tired. He was in pain, he didn't know how Xanatos would react, or what Oberon would do to them,and he just wanted everything to stop. He couldn't help but duck his head and let his hair fall in front of his face. A small part of him almost wished that Oberon had left him in the cell until they'd figured out what they would do to him.

When Xanatos was looking for answers, he expected to be given those answers. He wasn't the kind of man who had patience for someone to shyly say ' _I don't know'_. Xanatos hummed slightly in fascination, impatience, and frustration. He knelt next to Puck and forced him to lift his head and looked at him.

Xanatos stared at Puck's eyes for a long moment, searching for some mischief of defiance, but he saw nothing of the sort. Xanatos scowled, clearly displeased. He looked like he was about to say something, but then Xanatos' eyes trailed down to the cuff around Puck's neck.

"Well, that's not right," Xanatos said. He touched the collar, making Puck flinch slightly, but Xanatos was just examining them curiously. Even when Xanatos wasn't happy about something, his scientific mind made it hard for him to resist looking into something like this. "You're not anybody's pet, and certainly not mine."

"Are you claiming to not be his master?" Oberon asked challengingly. Puck's eyes widened.

"He is!" Puck said loudly. He didn't know what Oberon would do if Xanatos denied it. "He just didn't know about it, same as me."

Xanatos gave him an odd look. "Just because you work for me doesn't mean I'm your master."

"We have a fae bond," Puck tried to explain it as simply as he could. "It's something none of us can control. It's just this stupid force that connects us as master and servant."

Xanatos looked shocked for a moment, but Puck could see it the moment that Xanatos understood exactly what he had said. Just as Puck had thought, Xanatos looked a little amused. Xanatos chuckled slightly, and Puck couldn't help but giggle too.

Xanatos didn't stand up, but he had an air about him that made him look ten feet tall when he looked up at Oberon. "If Puck is my servant," Puck couldn't help but giggle more at the nearly sarcastic tone that Xanatos used. "Then why is he wearing a collar? Shouldn't that be my choice?"

Oberon narrowed his eyes at Xanatos, but the man didn't back down. Finally Oberon sighed and raised his hand. The collar disappeared and for the first time since arriving in Avalon Puck finally felt like he could finally breathe. Puck raised his hands up to his throat and rubbed it gently. That felt a lot better.

Xanatos didn't seem satisfied. He eyed the cuffs and chains around Puck's wrists and turned back to Oberon in clear displeasure. Oberon rolled his eyes and used his magic to make the cuffs vanish as well.

Xanatos frowned and took one of Puck's wrists in his hands. He examined the burns in a look that was half fascination and half concern. "This looks like an allergic reaction."

"You could say that," Puck stretched and let himself float a few inches off the ground. His ears were still burning, and he was still tired, but he wasn't being bound, and it felt nice to have complete control of his magic again. "All fae are weak against iron. Even Oberon is vulnerable to it." Puck was confused and a little disgusted to note that just saying this small bit was enough to make his throat hurt. It had been too long since he had spoken in a tone that was louder than a whisper. He'd been submissive for too long.

A wave of lightning-like magic came off of Oberon as he seethed angrily. "Don't share our secrets with mortals, child." A part of Puck wanted to bow down to his King and beg for forgiveness. His rebellious part really wanted to get angry about being called a child when he'd been alive for thousands of years. When Puck saw Xanatos' smug expression he couldn't help but giggle almost madly. He didn't know how much he had wanted to see Xanatos stand up so confidently to Oberon.

"If I'm Puck's master, doesn't that mean I have the right to anything that he can tell me?" Xanatos looked like he was having far too much fun with this. He was treating this like a game. Xanatos' confidence made Puck feel a lot more comfortable about the situation, and Oberon's fury almost made it better.

"He may be your servant, but he's still my subject," Oberon said in a tone that demanded respect. Unfortunately for him, Xanatos didn't give respect to just anybody. "I cannot tolerate any threat to my children." Puck hated it when Oberon called them his children. They may be the Children of Oberon, but very few of them were actually related to him. He wasn't their father, so why should he get to call them his children?

"I'm not trying to threaten your people," Xanatos said. Puck couldn't help but snort in amusement. Xanatos frequently threatened or tried to control Children of Oberon. It was just something that Puck had come to expect from him. "I'm only here for Puck."

"What do you want with him?" Oberon asked.

"I want him at my side," Xanatos said honestly. "Owen's assistance has become vital to my work. He's irreplaceable."

"Owen?" Oberon's smirk made it look like he believed he won. "If it's a loyal, obedient servant you want, I can give you just that." Oberon waved his hand and summoned a figure that looked nearly identical to Owen. Puck didn't even know how Oberon knew about Owen. It was really unnerving to see Oberon so easily create something that could so easily replace Puck. From the way that Xanatos' shoulders stiffened slightly, Puck could tell that he felt similar.

Puck could see Xanatos' discomfort because he knew him so well, but he hid it quite well from everybody else. Puck was sure that to Titania and Oberon, Xanatos looked as comfortable and in control as he had before.

"If I wanted a mindless puppet to do what I said and nothing else, I would make one for myself," Xanatos said, and Puck knew that he wasn't exaggerating either. "When I say I want Owen, I mean Puck as Owen. Anything else is unacceptable." Puck grinned. He felt like he could float right up to the ceiling. He'd always liked Xanatos' possessive nature, but it somehow felt so much better when it was aimed towards him.

Oberon looked furious, but Puck thought he saw a glint of satisfaction in Titania's eyes. She was up to something. Titania put a hand on Oberon's shoulder to keep him calm. "You know you cannot just separate a servant from his master. There is old, powerful magic at play here, and it would not be wise to resist it."

"I can't allow my subjects to do as they please," Oberon said.

"No one's suggesting that," Xanatos said in a tone that Puck was all too familiar with. This was Xanatos' business voice, the tone he used when he was trying to strike up a deal with someone. Xanatos was a master at business. He knew how to convince somebody to compromise and give Xanatos exactly what he wanted while leaving them feeling like they were the ones who were getting the most out of the exchange, even if Xanatos himself gave up very little.

"Look, I'm not about to leave without Puck," Xanatos said. "But I'm not here to pick a fight." Xanatos' tone was careful. If Oberon was the one to start a fight, Puck knew that Xanatos wouldn't be afraid to defend himself and what he wanted if it came to it. "I'm sure we can come to some kind of understanding." Oberon wasn't exactly the kind of person to compromise anything, but if anybody could convince him, Puck knew it would be Xanatos.

Oberon eyed Xanatos carefully. "What do you suggest?" Puck could see the ideas running through Xanatos' head.

"I respect that you need to protect your people," Xanatos said. "I would probably do the same thing in your position. The thing is, Puck is still your subject, he may not be your servant, but he's still a Child of Oberon." Puck nodded. Xanatos' guess was right on the mark. "My work has brought me to run into other Children of Oberon, but each time Puck has refused to tell me anything about them. He has kept the secrets of your people."

Oberon looked at Puck critically. He was looking for the smallest sign of dishonesty or disloyalty, but he didn't see any. Puck was physically incapable of willingly betraying Oberon, same as all the fae. Oberon must have seen this in Puck's eyes because he relaxed ever so slightly

"What's your point?" Oberon asked.

"My point is that if there's no risk of Puck betraying you, why shouldn't he come back to work with me?" Xanatos asked. "Other than your pride?" Puck stiffened. Oberon didn't react well to someone undermining his authority, questioning him, or implying that he wasn't completely perfect. Oberon was an extremely proud being.

Oberon looked predictably furious, but Titania looked at Xanatos in approval. Whatever her plan had been, it seemed to be happening just like she had hoped. "My lord, we cannot keep Puck from his master. The ancient rules will not allow it." Titania said. Oberon did not look happy with her words. He didn't like being reminded that his word wasn't always law.

"I suppose so," Oberon said reluctantly. "But I can't allow any of the other Children of Oberon to look at Puck and think that they can defy me. There have to be consequences." Oberon used his magic to pull Puck towards him, and then to keep Xanatos from interfering. "Puck, you've chosen the mortals above your own people. If you would rather live among the humans, then so be it." Oberon touched Puck's forehead. Puck suddenly felt a cold chill deep within him. His very instincts were screaming at him to leave. Puck felt his breath get caught in his throat. He had lost the favor of Avalon. The island didn't accept him any more.

"M-my lord, please," Puck didn't know just what he was asking. Perhaps he wanted to return to Manhattan with Xanatos. Maybe he was pleading for Oberon to take him back. He didn't really know, he was just tired.

Titania approached Puck and gently pulled him down out of the air. She brushed his hair back behind his ears and out of his face. "You may not appreciate it now, but our lord is being merciful." Puck understood that much, but without the blessing of Avalon he felt too cold to acknowledge it. Titania smiled and kissed Puck's forehead, right at the spot that Oberon had touched. "Trust me, my little Robin, this is for the best, for everybody."

"If we're done here, can we go home now?" Xanatos asked, his tone nothing but professional. "I'm sure Fox has a lot of questions, and we've got a week's worth of work to catch up on." A week? That didn't sound right to Puck. He didn't know if it felt too short or too long, but it seemed wrong.

"Yes, yes, get out of my sights," Oberon waved them away, like he hadn't been the one to drag Puck to Avalon in the first place.

Titania raised her arms and brought back the door that had brought her and Xanatos to Avalon. "I'll be seeing you soon." Puck didn't know whether this was a reassurance or a threat.

Xanatos put a hand on Puck's arm, and Puck leaned into his touch ever so slightly. "Let's go home." Xanatos said. Puck nodded and let Xanatos pull him through the doorway. It felt like so long since he had been back in Manhattan, and Puck was looking forward to returning to the noisy, crowded, almost completely devoid of magic city.

Puck didn't think he had ever been so eager to return to the mortal realm. Nothing made simple human life more appealing than being held captive and then rejected by Avalon. Puck loved magic, but he was looking forward to not being exposed to so much of it for awhile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought about having this be the last chapter, but I wanted to include Puck and Xanatos properly reuniting with each other, without Oberon hovering over their shoulders. I didn't want to rush it though, so I'm just going to make it its own chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

The moment they were through Titania's door and back at Castle Wyvern, Puck could feel Xanatos' grip on professionalism slip. The man had been standing straight and proud while they'd been in Avalon, but once the immediate threat was gone his shoulders fell, he stiffened up tensely, and his grip on Puck's arm tightened. It wasn't painful, but after so long of being at Oberon's non-existent mercy, Puck was wary of touch.

He yelped in alarm and tried to pull back. Xanatos let go of him immediately and pulled back almost like he was burned. Without Xanatos' support Puck started to stagger forward. Xanatos caught him immediately and lifted him into his arms, a panicked look in his eyes as though he had just seen Puck get shot instead of just losing his balance.

"Fox!" Xanatos shouted. He Carried Puck towards the door. Puck, feeling just a little bit humiliated, pushed at Xanatos' chest.

"I'm fine, David," Puck huffed.

"No, you're really not," Xanatos said. "You're not Owen right now, you don't _have_ to be okay."

"David?" Fox came into the room. "What's wrong? Who's this?" She frowned at Puck, not suspicion, just confusion and just a little bit of concern.

"He's...a family friend," Xanatos said slowly.

"Just tell her, David, she has to learn eventually." Puck said. Fox crossed her arms and glared at them suspiciously.

"What's going on?" Fox asked.

Puck successfully pushed himself away from Xanatos. Because he wasn't positive that he could trust his legs, Puck just floated in the air. It felt like a slight strain on his magic without his connection to Avalon, but at least he could use magic at all. Puck moved in front of Fox and, still floating in the air, bowed to her.

"Lady Fox, my name is Puck." He grinned at her. Fox was taken aback for a moment before she returned his smile. "Though I guess you know me by another name."

"Another name?" Fox raised an eyebrow at him.

Xanatos sighed. "Owen. This is Owen's true form. He's a child of Oberon. A fae."

"Owen?" Fox narrowed her eyes at them, like she was expecting a trick, even though she knew that Xanatos wasn't the type to joke around, not about something like this, and definitely not to her. Fox leaned forward and examined Puck carefully. A long moment later she gave him a gentle smile. "Actually, I think I can see it."

"What?" Puck and Xanatos both frowned. The great thing about his Owen persona was just how different from Puck he was. Nobody should be able to recognize Owen in Puck, or Puck in Owen.

"It's your eyes," Fox brushed a stray hair out of Puck's face. "I would recognize that know-it-all, mischievous look anywhere." Puck tilted his head at Fox. He knew that sometimes when he was Owen and nobody else was around except for Xanatos and Fox, he let some of his stiffness slip, but the Puck should be far more mischievous than Owen could ever be. Puck wasn't feeling completely like himself yet, so maybe his mischievous nature was just subdued enough to resemble Owen's.

Fox frowned and gently touched Puck's ear, which was still pinned down on itself and probably furiously red. Puck was sure that the only reason why Xanatos hadn't gotten furiously upset about it was because Puck's hair kept on covering his ears.

"That looks painful," Fox moved to touch the iron pin, probably to undo it. Puck flinched and pulled away from her grip.

"Don't touch it!" Puck floated back behind Xanatos. Fox looked at him in confusion. Xanatos looked far too concerned and furious for that.

"What did he do?" Xanatos growled. He rubbed Puck's ears, trying to soothe the redness. "How long has it been like this?"

"From the start," Puck grimaced. "Lord Oberon s-said if I wanted to pretend to be human, I should look like one too."

"That won't do," Xanatos said.

"They need to come out," Fox said. She approached Puck again, but he was careful to keep Xanatos between them. Fox frowned. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"That's not what I'm worried about," Puck said. He knew that Fox was just trying to help, but the iron in his ears could be harmful for fox. Puck didn't know if half-fae were affected by iron the same way that full-blooded were, but he didn't think that now was the best time to test it out. "Trust me, I want nothing more than for these to get out," He looked at Xanatos. "You do it."

"You know that Fox would be better at this kind of thing," Xanatos said.

"Iron burns all fae," Puck said quietly so Fox wouldn't overhear. "Maybe even half fae," Xanatos looked towards Fox with a slight frown. "I trust you."

Xanatos sighed and closed his eyes. A long moment passed before he opened his eyes, determination and professional detachedness showing through. "Fox, I need you to restrain him."

"Is that really necessary?" Fox asked even as she came to Puck and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close to her chest.

"Probably," Puck admitted. "I might try to teleport away."

"This is going to hurt," Xanatos said. "I'll be as quick as I can. Try not to lash out with your magic."

"I'll do my best," Puck took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut tight. He clutched at Fox's arms like a life-line. "Just get it over with."

Xanatos put a hand on the iron pin with his other hand holding Puck's ear in place. He was still for a long moment before he just yanked the iron out. It stung, but Puck was more shocked at the sudden loss of the constant burning pain that the iron had been causing him. His ear was still sore from being folded down for so long, but the burning pain from the iron was immediately gone, like it had never been there in the first place.

Puck let out a sigh of relief. Xanatos relaxed ever so slightly and immediately moved onto the other ear. Now that Xanatos knew that he wouldn't be causing more pain to Puck, he didn't hesitate to just pull the other pin out. Xanatos looked like he wanted to toss the pins aside, but he didn't let his anger get the best of his caution. Xanatos pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and carefully wrapped it around the pins. He tucked it away into his pocket.

Puck leaned back against Fox. She lowered herself so she was sitting on the ground. She started stroking Puck's hair, just like Titania did. Like mother , like daughter. Xanatos knelt in front of them and started to carefully massage Puck's ears. With Fox behind him and Xanatos in front of him, Puck felt more at home than he had ever felt in Avalon.

"How's that feel?" Xanatos asked.

"Much better," Puck hummed contently. "Doesn't even hurt." At least, it didn't hurt as much as it had before. His ears were still stinging, and it would take time for them to fully heal, but this dull pain felt wonderful compared to the harsh burn that the pins had caused.

"Could this affect your performance as Owen?" Xanatos asked. Fox gave him a scolding look.

"He just got back, and you already want him to get back to work?" Fox was completely unimpressed.

"It's fine," Puck told Fox. He knew that both he and Xanatos would feel much better once things got back to normal. He looked at Xanatos. "It might be a day before I have the energy to transform into Owen...or two."

"I'm giving you three days in this form before you're allowed to be Owen again, and another day after that before you're expected back at work." Xanatos said.

"David," Puck didn't want to sit around for four days. It may be nice to be Puck after so long of being Owen, but he didn't like it when it was decided for him which form to take.

"This is not up to debate," Xanatos said. He looked at Puck slightly mischievously. "You're not going to argue with your master, are you?"

Puck groaned. "You're enjoying this! I _knew_ you'd find it funny."

"Master?" Fox raised an eyebrow at Xanatos.

"It's a long and complicated story that I don't really understand." Xanatos said honestly. "It wasn't even my idea."

Fox didn't look entirely convinced, but when she saw how content and almost pleased Puck looked about Xanatos' words she let it go.

"Don't worry, I won't use it against you," Xanatos said with a slight smirk. "At least, no more than I have in the past."

"I wouldn't want anything less." Puck grinned. Xanatos worked him hard, but he trusted him a lot, and that was just how Puck liked it. He didn't want their relationship to change just because of what had happened in Avalon. He may be exhausted and hurting now, but he wasn't some frail little thing that needed to be taken care of.

"Well, the sooner you rest, the sooner you'll recover, and the sooner you can get back to work." Xanatos stood up and pulled Puck back up into his arms. Puck wasn't used to being so much smaller than Xanatos and carried around like he was an ill child, but he didn't resist Xanatos this time. He was too tired and content to fight him on this. Besides, Xanatos seemed to be enjoying himself far too much. The man liked to take any opportunity he could to show off how much stronger than someone he was.

"Where do you expect me to rest?" Puck crossed his arms and tilted his head back. "You know that Owen doesn't have his own room, and you never bothered to set up a guest bedroom."

"I guess you'll just have to stay in my room for now," Xanatos said. Fox got up and followed them. "You've done it before." Fox let out a cough that barely concealed a laugh.

"That was _one_ time," Puck huffed. It wasn't his fault that doing magic that affected all of Manhattan was so exhausting.

"Well, it's happening again, so get used to it." Xanatos said as he entered the bedroom. Puck rolled his eyes and floated out of Xanatos' grip and sat on the bed. Puck didn't normally sleep on beds, or really sleep at all. If he was especially bored or drained and wanted a nap, he would normally just make himself comfortable in the air and catch a few z's that way, but this bed was comfortable. Xanatos may avoid sleeping as much as he could while still being a fully-functioning human, but he didn't cheap out when it came to beds.

Puck sighed and laid back. Maybe he should take one of the many spare rooms in the castle and claim it for himself, because this was comfortable. He felt the bed dip slightly as both Fox and Xanatos joined him on the bed. Fox knelt next to Puck and gently lifted his head so it laid on her lap. She returned to massaging his ears. Xanatos just watched them for a moment before he leaned back against the headboard and picked up a book from the side table.

"You don't have to stay here," Puck said, though he did appreciate the company. Xanatos looked up over his book and raised an eyebrow at him.

"You disappeared without a trace and were missing for a week," Xanatos said dryly. "I'm not letting you out of my sights."

"You're letting your possessiveness show." Puck said. Fox chuckled.

"He's getting into the 'dad' mindset," Fox said. "Once the baby is born, it'll get even worse."

Puck frowned ever so slightly. The baby. Titania was already incredibly possessive of the baby. Puck had been trying to prepare for whatever Titania or even Oberon might do after the birth, and he'd thought that he'd had things fairly under control, but now he wasn't so sure. He couldn't fight against Oberon, not really. His sore neck, wrists, and ears were proof of that. Oberon was probably also furious after what had just happened, and would be in no mood to be merciful or reasonable after the baby was born. If Titania wanted the child, Oberon would make it happen, and Puck wasn't sure how they could stop him.

Puck glanced at Xanatos. He hadn't mentioned the threat that Oberon posed before, because Puck's loyalty was towards his king and Avalon. He wasn't connected to the island anymore though, and his loyalty to Xanatos was even stronger. Puck wasn't sure what Xanatos would be able to do about Oberon and Titania, but the man had surprised him before. Puck would be a fool to bet against Xanatos, and that was why he liked him so much.

Puck closed his eyes. He would have to tell Xanatos about what to expect, and Fox should probably know about her fae blood and the danger that put her child in, but that could wait for a little bit. He needed a nap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The events of the Gathering episode would pretty much go the same way as they do in the show. 
> 
> And I think I've read too many Fox/Xanatos/Puck and Xanatos/Puck stories, because while writing this chapter I was totally influenced by those interactions. I didn't really mean for it to be that way, but when the show itself doesn't give a whole lot of Xanatos and Puck interactions, or have Fox interacting much with either Owen or Puck, what else am I supposed to base their interactions off of?


End file.
